Most telecommunications systems include cables (e.g., fiber optic cables or copper twisted pair cables) for interconnecting pieces of telecommunications equipment. For example, in a typical telephone carrier system servicing residences and/or businesses, cables are used to couple components such as an MDF (main distribution frame), a POTS (plain old telephone service) splitter for separating voice and data signals and a DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer). A telephone carrier's central office frequently includes multiple rows of telecommunications racks or cabinets. Each rack or cabinet is typically sized to hold several different pieces of telecommunications equipment. Racks typically have open fronts and open backs for allowing both front and back access to equipment, while cabinets typically have closed backs such that equipment is only accessible from the front. Often thousands of cables are used to interconnect the various pieces of telecommunications equipment mounted on the racks or cabinets.
Cable management is crucial at a location such as a telephone carrier's central office because of the large number of cables present. Cable management involves efficiently routing cables to minimize the space occupied by such cables. Cable management also involves routing cables in an orderly manner so as to reduce the likelihood of the cables becoming tangled. Ease of cabling is also a factor related to effective cable management.
In addition to cable management, other considerations relevant to the design of telecommunications equipment include manufacturing cost, assembly time, reliability and weight.